How To Rock The Ending
by Crystal Light
Summary: Years after the Christmas Celebration, Kacey and her friends are now a day away from graduating. But more than one of the characters has a huge choice to make. Zacey, Zevie, or Zolly? Who will Zander choose? Or will Stevie just leave altogether? Rated T for a reason, adult themes mentioned. Please Read And Review!


**(A/N: Here's the ending of How To Rock as I see it since David Israel could not write the ending for us. Rated HEAVY T, lots of adult themes mentioned. This is not the way I would have liked the show to end, but then again, I'm writing it for what David and Meg would have wanted. Please read and review.)**

Kacey Simon stands alone in the band room, reflecting on her life.

It has been many months since the Christmas they spent together in the mall. They were now seniors, now about to graduate. They have all grown together. But she knows how much things have changed. It has been a long time since she was a sophomore when her life had hit a turning point. Kacey Simon and her friends were not only seniors now, they were graduating. Ready to hit the open road…

The teen catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror and she looks at her reflection, head tilting slightly to the side. Was she always perfect? Why had things gone the way they did? She was always destined to be the most beautiful, the most fair. But why? Kacey Simon had never questioned any of that before. She was the princess when she was a little girl, the charming lady who won the hearts of so many so easily. And now here she was, a gorgeous young woman with little flaws. How come she was so perfect? Why did it work out that way?

These thoughts, of course, only last a moment. _I am not perfect,_ she declares. If she was, she would have won him over by now…

In the midst of her thinking she hears someone from behind approach her. She turns around and she sees Kevin Reed, one of her fellow bandmates. Kevin had followed her around all throughout high school like a lost puppy, begging and begging for a chance to be with her. Kacey had shot the boy down repeatedly, mercilessly, because she knew it was in the design too. Her entire life was a design. Kevin was only there to shoot down, to make Kacey feel even more perfect.

The two of them exchange hollow greetings and look around sadly, gazing at the band room. It will all be gone, all of it. "We had such good times here," Kevin murmurs.

Kacey decides right then and there that no matter what happens tonight, she will not take back all that has happened. "I won't regret any of it either." She finally says.

Kevin takes one hesitant step closer to her and she has to resist rolling her eyes. Tonight he will want closure, and she will give him closure if she must. Kevin has served his purpose in her life, and it is time to end it all. "I'm sorry, Kevin." She says firmly. "But there will never be a you and I."

"But I love you!" He protests. More hesitantly, he adds, "We'd be great together, Kacey. I know we would."

"I'm sorry, Kevin, but I know better now. You were never meant for me." She wonders if she should add what she had also planned to say, but her lips fall silent.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You still love Zander." Kevin says coldly. "But you know that it won't work either, right? Zander loves Stevie."

A pierce of fury ripples through Kacey like a black wave. Junior Year, Zander and Kacey had been in the band room all alone, while Kacey cried over a boy who rejected her for Molly. She still remembers exactly what Zander had said: "Those guys don't know what you are missing. The guy for you is right in front of you." And after this, they had dated for a rather brief time, but it crumbled eventually due to something silly. And yet they remained friends.

Zander and Kacey have chemistry. She knew that. The attractive boy and the attractive girl. That's how it is _supposed_ to work! She knows that, everybody knows that. And even if Stevie is beautiful (dare she say it, more beautiful than _her_) she wasn't a girly girl. Only girly girls get the good guys. That's just a fact.

This is the system Kacey lives by. How could the ending be changed? Kacey was the perfect girl: beautiful and stylish, not branded a slut despite losing her virginity at fifteen (not to Zander, to someone else), a fantastic singer for a rocking band. Zander and her have slept together before, but somehow it didn't even make a difference when they had broken up. But she always knew that someday they may get back together; wasn't that in the design? Attractive guy and attractive girl are friends, like each other but don't admit it, then get together for a little while, break up over something petty, stay friends for some time, then get back together.

But for Stevie and Zander, that wasn't in the design; oh no, Zander was _destined_ for Kacey. But would he see that in time…?

"He doesn't _love_ her." Kacey corrects, her voice as sharp and bitter as ice. "And what do you know, anyway?"

"He's my dude friend, Kace. I've heard him talk about her." The words feel like acid to Kacey. "Kacey, I'm giving you a choice here. You could be with the one who loves you, or strive for the one who doesn't."

Face burning, Kacey shoulders past him. "Leave me alone," She hisses. "Zander _said_ he loved me—and I know he does. You don't know anything."

* * *

The lone wolf stands alone.

Stevie Baskara waits patiently, her face turned towards the night sky. She waits for her friends, not the fake friends that she had. Not the perfect mary sue, or the idiot boys. Her _real_ friends.

Something shifts in the night air, a darker shadow against the brightly lit stars. The sound of heavy flapping approaches her, like a huge bird, a condor or something. She steps backward, her skin chilling with fear, but she forces herself to let the goose bumps lie flat. She knows what this is. She has nothing to fear…

A gust of wind hits her as the shape looms above her, slowly winding downward before stopping altogether. In the black of night she makes out who she is; a bedraggled teenage girl, her age, with wings that extend out to almost fifteen feet. Maybe, if she were someone else, she would have screamed out. But she knows who this is. And Stevie Baskara doesn't _fear_ anything.

The others follow. Flapping their wings they fly over the landscape, slick and bold. They surround her, their eyes flashing like gems in the darkness. Stevie faces the first girl, named Imogen, and she feels a prick of emotion—a good one—and she almost crumbles there. They _came _back for her. She was so sure that they were going to leave. The Winged have no loyalty to anyone… But they came back for her. Stevie almost feels _loved,_ but not in the way many may think.

Stevie met the Winged the day after the Christmas celebration. **(A/N: The last episode)** The Winged, as she liked to call them, would travel around the world, searching for something they never told Stevie. But they trusted her, and she trusted them. And they had promised her that they'd return the day she graduated, but Stevie had dismissed it as an empty hope. But here they was.

How The Winged could fly, Stevie had never found out. They had _wings_ for Lord's sake, but how did they get them? How could they sail through the air with such order and pacification? And most importantly, _why couldn't she come with them?_

"You came," Stevie murmurs, her eyes set on pale brown and white wings that jet out from Imogen's back. This girl never cared for her before, only used her, but somehow she managed to break her down. Imogen looks at her now with some kind of affection, affection friends share, but Kacey never did this for Stevie. Imogen and Stevie entwine hands for a brief second, just a little embrace that sends electricity throughout her. Stevie almost feels _loved._

Imogen's dark eyes scour her face, and Stevie knows that she is about to be asked the ultimate question. Then her friend speaks: "We need your answer now."

Taryn and Barry step forward. Twins, their large wings are dappled and mottled with several shades of black, gray, and white; almost like grains of pepper. "We've given you this offer before." Barry says, his voice as light as the air he flies through. "You can join us, if you desire."

_If I desire? This is all I ever wanted!_

But is it? She has a choice to make, and it's not as simple as choosing whether or not to soar through the open skies with her friends. Could she leave behind the others? Once you join The Winged, you _never_ leave.

Imogen meets her gaze, something she also doesn't do often. "We will need your answer by tomorrow night." She says. "Meet us here again?"

Lia, a small girl aged eight, grips Stevie's hand. Her wings, much too large for tiny frame, are splashed with vibrant colors of blue and green and yellow, like a parrot's. "Please come with us." She almost begs. "You could have wings too, and we could all fly together."

Stevie's chest tightens. How could she deny this chance? But could she leave her friends…?

All of them pace backward and leap up into the air, their wings catching the lofty breeze. With great strokes they rise into the air, black birds in a darker world, and fly off, leaving Stevie alone with her thoughts.

* * *

Zander Robbins sits with Kacey Simon in the lunch room.

"I'll miss high school," Kacey Simon murmurs to him, toying with her long fake nails.

"Guess we won't be able to use that whole age-old excuse of, 'we're just kids' next time I get in trouble?" Zander arches an eyebrow at Kacey, who chuckles softly.

He looks over at Kacey once more. Again it hammers through him. _You are supposed to be with her. It's always been that way._ He should be grateful to fate for pairing him up with such a beautiful girl, but shouldn't he also have the right to free will? If he could choose someone, would he just end up picking her anyway? She uses a fragile hand to tuck a stray hair away from her face, and her eyes send off sparks when she blinks. He doesn't even understand himself anymore.

His mind twists with complications. Who was Zander Robbins? Even he didn't know. The Sophomore boy who trotted happily for his first day at Brewster High was not the same person he was today. He had a choice to make… Could he make it?

His dilemma feels like the weight of the world is resting on his sunken shoulders. This scenario doesn't happen normally, doesn't it? It feels like it only happens in TV shows. The irony is thick here.

Earlier that morning, Molly had approached him. She asked him for a shot at life together. And here Kacey is in front of him, right before graduation, and Zander knows that he only has this chance to make things right. And of course, there is Stevie…

He has to organize it better:

There was Kacey Simmons. He had only felt pity for that pathetic scrap of a girl when he had seen her with braces and glasses and her all alone. Pity is not a kind feeling. He took her in, let her join the band, because what else could she do? But as the years went on she grew to like him, and he grew to feel something back. They eventually dated for a very short time in Junior Year, fell in love under some kind of influence. Even Zander doesn't know what it was. But was that love? What is love, anyway? How the hell should he know? It was such a brief time, and yet it moved so fast; they had deep conversations, gave themselves to each other, consummated whatever kind of relationship they had under an unforgiving night sky. What did Zander Robbins know about anything? Deep down, Zander does know the truth. The only reason they dated was because they were _supposed_ to date. It was almost as if it had been _destined_ for her by someone else, not a path of free will. He thinks it had something to do with poor writing skills.

And then of course, Molly Garfunkel. What a last name. They totally didn't steal it from a famous musician. Zander and Molly were never truly official, never actually proclaimed themselves as boyfriend and girlfriend, although Zander had lost count of the number of relations they had. It was after Zander and Kacey broke up; the two would sneak off whenever the time was right and go at it until frustrations were clear. And yet, and yet, Zander didn't feel used. He didn't love Molly, but it was okay because she sure as hell didn't love him back. It was just casual, all of it. But then why did she approach him this morning? Asking for him, _wanting _him. Not just for his body; she wanted him for after high school, for forever. This had never happened before; how could he handle it?

And of course, Stevie Baskara. Whatever they had, Zander has been sworn to silence. His best friend, his very best friend, the beautiful girl with the curled, spiraled hair and those smoldering eyes that could finish him off. He had wanted her, _craved_ her for so long, although he refused to admit it to himself despite the desperation eating away at him from the inside. He finally did make a move, kissing her in the band's room in the middle of the night, and the electricity of that night was always with him, always. But she refused to let it get any farther from kissing, which was a surprise to him. It wasn't because she was afraid, because she didn't fear anything. The answer was something that Zander himself feared.

Three girls.

One day.

He is supposed to choose… But how can he?

He truly cared for all three. Kacey Simmons is destined for him. Molly Garfunkel somehow came down from the clouds and said she wanted him. And Stevie Baskara is life itself to him. What could he do?

He thinks of Nelson and Grace and how happy they are. _Why can't it be easy? Why can't I have something like that? Love that doesn't have to be questioned._ But the truth is, he knows why. It is because Zander made it difficult for himself.

Somehow, he doesn't think he will say yes to Molly. Molly Garfunkel is gorgeous, there is no doubt. But there's something just too sinister about her, something that Zander couldn't trust. He partially believes that Molly's sudden newfound infatuation from him is fueled by her hatred of Kacey, anyway. In Molly's case, how great would it be to win over the love interest of her worst enemy?

But Kacey and Stevie… How could he choose? They were both so beautiful in such different ways. How could he _possibly _do this? _You don't have a lot of time,_ he thinks to himself. _You gotta make your move._

* * *

Jump to a few hours later. Zander now sits alone in the band room. He hears something stir and he turns to see Stevie walking down towards him.

"Hi," She smiles and that sends a shiver down his spine. "I just came to say goodbye, because… Well, I don't really know if I'm going to see you after high school too much, because you know… Yeah. Well, I…" She slowly begins to back away from him.

"Stevie, wait." The girl turns around and looks at him. Suddenly, all of the confidence drains from Zander in only a matter of moments. His mouth feels so dry, as if he had swallowed a handful of sand. Still, he speaks.

"Look, I know that you told me to never talk about it," He blurts out. She looks at him strangely. "You know, that one night where I kissed you." Her eyes widen a half-inch, only to return to normal size a second later. She looks much calmer than he had predicted she would be. "Look, I know you wanna go our separate ways after high school, but I… I don't want that."

She is silent. Finally, she speaks, almost cautiously, "Then what do you want?"

Slowly, instinctively, he leans forward and presses his lips to hers. She only lingers for the briefest moment before stepping back. He looks up at her and he sees that her eyes are full of guilt.

"I can't do this," She confesses.

"Stevie, please—"

"No no no, it's not you." She says quickly. Her lips tremble, as if she is trying to hold something back, before she finally just implodes. Urgently, she says, "Zander, I'm leaving tonight."

"Tonight? Where are you going?"

"It doesn't matter where I am going." She says briskly. "But that's why I am here, I came to say goodbye…"

Zander looks at her in bewilderment and growing anger. "What? That makes no sense. You didn't mention this before? You're going to just pack up and get going?" Fury flushes through his face. "You know, if you didn't like me, you could have just said so."

And that is the truth. That's why Zander was always so afraid of Stevie after the kiss. Her rejection hits harder than anything else.

"Zander, don't turn this around on me!" She protests. "I _do_ care about you deeply. And—and—I'm giving up a lot. But I need you to be okay while I am gone."

"It's too late for that." He growls.

Stevie's gorgeous hazel eyes grow darker and darker. "You know your heart isn't supposed to lie with me." She murmurs. "It wasn't written that way."

"But it's how I _feel_!"

"Zander, please, I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you or anyone else. But I—"

But Zander has had enough. Icily, bitterly, he narrows his eyes and gives Stevie a look that could freeze Hell. "I see. If this is the last time I see you, then I'll remember you as you were, my best friend. Not the cold hearted bitch who's leaving me now."

Stevie's eyes widen, and she almost looks like she is about to protest. In the end, she droops her head with acceptance and slowly backs up. Right as she leaves she turns her head and says one last thing: "Fate, Zander. Remember it."

"Fuck you!" He snarls after her.

The door closes and he is left alone in the band room.

* * *

Kacey Simon passes Nelson and Grace. The couple is holding hands and laughing, looking so much happier than she is. _They are so perfect together_, she thinks.

Right before she enters the band room, she catches sight of Stevie stalking away from it, her eyes trained on the sky. She calls out to say goodbye to her friend, but she doesn't hear her. _I wonder what's happened. Why does she look so upset?_

She peeks her head around the corner. She spots Zander sitting alone in the band room, conflicting emotions settling in his face. _Maybe I shouldn't do this. After all, the guy is _always_ supposed to make the first move!_

But she finds herself slowly approaching her friend. He turns around and gives her a wary look; his face looks almost grieved, something Kacey didn't expect. But his emotions eventually lighten, his beautiful brown eyes sparking with life.

"Hey." He says.

"Hi." She sits down beside him, and he turns closer to her, his eyes flitting over her face. She doesn't even have time to brace herself; she just begins to talk. "I had so much fun with you," She admits. "All of you. I never wanted Gravity Five to end, but that's just how things had to happen. But I feel like I can control our friendship, not just you and I but the others too. I feel like we can still be friends, if we just try."

Zander's face fills with an emotion Kacey cannot name. He slowly brings his hand closer and entwines it with hers, and her mind runs blank. He leans it and claims her lips with his own, her own eyes opening wide with disbelief and happiness.

They pull away and Kacey looks at Zander, somewhat hesitantly. "You love me," She says, shyly.

Zander says nothing, only responds with another kiss, thus answering her question.

* * *

Jump to the day of Zander and Kacey's wedding. Nelson and Grace, already hitched, came and clapped happily. Surprisingly, even Kevin showed up to watch the love of his life walk down the aisle wearing a gorgeous diamond white dress. Molly was going to come too, except she had a more sinister intention of plotting some sort of scheme before they found her out and she was banned.

But sadly, Stevie Baskara disappeared only a day after graduation, and no one has seen her since…

* * *

Jump to the day where Stevie flies over New York City, her own wings unfurled. Her wings match her hair color, dark brown with light-colored highlights. Imogen flaps beside her, shouting encouragement. Stevie just closes her eyes and lets herself feel lighter than air, purer than snow. She now has everything she ever wanted. She thinks of her friends for the last time. She chose this life, and she adores this life. Forever, she will fly along in the sky.


End file.
